>> this is bbc world news. funding for this presentation is made possible by the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu. newman's own foundation. and union bank. >> at union bank, our relationship managers work hard to know your business, offering specialized solutions and capital to help you meet your growth objectives.

we offer expertise and tailored solutions for small businesses and major corporations. what can we do for you? >> and now, bbc world news. >> hello and welcome to "g.m.t." on "bbc world news." our top stories -- tunisia in turmoil as thousands gather for the funeral of an assassinated opposition leader, chokri belaid. mourners accuse the islamist government of murder as a protest strike shuts down the economy. is this the death of a revolution? a former californian caught becomes america's most wanted after he dechairs war on former colleagues in the los angeles police department. >> of course he knows what he's doing we trained him. he was also a member of the armed forces.

it is extremely worrisome and scary. >> and the ugly allegations behind the beauty of the bolshoi. we hear from the ballet star at the center of an off-stage storm. and jim see here with business news. >> thanks very much indeed. negotiations have been going on through the night, but the word is european union leaders are for the first time in its history close to a deal that actually cuts the budget. >> it's 12:00 noon here in washington, 7:00 a.m. in washington, d.c., and 1:00 in the afternoon in tunis, where thousands of people have gathered for the funeral of the assassinated opposition leader and human rights activist, chokri belaid. this is the scene live at the cemetery where mr. belaid will be buried. many in the crowd have accused

tunisia's islamist government of responsibility for his murder. the country is now facing its worst political crisis since the uprising which brought down the ben ali regime two years ago. a nationwide protest strike has been called for today. politicians are squabbling about the future of the current government. our world affairs correspondent, nick chiles, has been following developments. >> the body of chokri belaid begins its final journey, surrounded by a swelling and emotional crowd. the feelings stirred by the assassination of the opposition leader and the subsequent political fallout are plain to see. tunisia remains gripped by the worst crisis since the revolution which toppled the long-time dictator, ben ali, more than two years ago. and they braced for further tensions in the wake of belaid's funeral. earlier in tunis, gray skies, drenching rain, and the prospect of a general strike called in protest at the

killing and had kept many off the streets. but there was an obvious security presence in anticipation of new demonstrations. this week's events have dramatically raised tensions between the dominant islamists now in government and their secular opponents, disillusioned over the progress of a revolution which had lit the fuse for uprisings across the arab world. this man says the government must do something, but that it's split within. this man says the killing of chokri belaid was a deliberate attempt to stir up violence. and these are some of the clashes between protesters and security forces in tunis on thursday, also repeated in other cities. the prime minister's efforts to defuse the tensions by announcing a government of technocrats ahead of new elections appears to have backfired as his own governing islamist party has rebuffed it. many of these mourners and chokri belaid's own family have accused of governing islamists

of complicit in his killing. it strongly denied it. but in such an emotional atmosphere, with no obvious political way forward, the risk of continuing turmoil in tunisia is clear. nick childs, bbc news. >> we can go over to tunis live now and join our middle east correspondent, wyre davies. tell us what is happening around you right now. >> thousands and thousands of people by the family home this morning, accompanying the coffin. very dignified, but it's an increasingly passionate crowd, all of them blaming the government, the government which is a coalition but led by this muslim brotherhood-affiliated party. i spoke to chokri belaid's bid sandow his father. when i asked them, who do you hold responsible? they both said this party. another part of the problem, you have here an islamist

government which is properly elected, but accused by those who led the revolution two years ago of giving in to hard-line conservists who many people accuse of this murder. >> wyre, we know there is also a general strike today. we know that there is infighting within the coalition government. how deep is the sense of crisis, do you think, in tunisia today? >> well, turn united states is at another crossroads. this is the worst crisis since the overthrow just over two years ago. there is, you know, a wide body politic in tunisia. there is a cultural body of people who are educated, french speaking, who are relatively liberal, who want a western-style democracy here. they're the ones out protesting today because they accuse the other side, which is the conservative trend, of trying to impose its islamist view on the country. so it's very difficult to say where turn united states goes from here. this is a fight for the future

of this country. this is, of course, a place where the arab spring began two years ago, and many people i've been spoking to today hope it won't be the place before wrth arab spring suffers a premature death. >> you call it a fight for the future. there are reports of limited clashes between police and protesters in another tunisian town. do you get any sense there could be violence in the capital today? >> i think people are hoping there won't be. there hasn't been any violence yet, but the fine val ongoing, as you can hear in the background. also, there's a massive security presence right in the middle of tunis itself. the avenue was the scene all the fighting two years ago. the real danger, i think, is after the funeral, after friday prayers are finished, whether the islamists themselves venture out on to the street. i think -- and of course everybody hopes that perhaps opposition politicians won't venture out on to the streets,

their supporters won't come out on to the streets, and they'll allow this to be a day of mourning for chokri belaid's family. if, of course, there are clashes, then that does raise the specter of more injuries and deaths on the streets of tunis. >> wyre live from tunis, thanks very much for joining us on "g.m.t." we'll keep you updated on everything that happens there. it's time for business news. jamie has joined me. i know you're watching very closely this marathon e.u. summit, which is all about setting out the budget for the e.u.'s future. aum i think we sometimes tend to see this as being not an open figures, but i think this one is very important because of the possibility they might cut the budget for the first time in their history. in many ways, it's the end of an era, the end of an idea of a limitless expansion of the european union. the events being long and torturous. e.u. leaders have been going through the night as to try to agree as the next seven years, and it looks like a cut could

be on the cards. this would be the first time, as i say, in its history. sums of money being proposed according to reports. leaders are closing in on agreement to set spending at around 9 0 billion euros, just short of that figure. some 275 euros a year for every living taxpayer in the european union. a massive 370 billion euros, about 40% of this entire budget, earmarked for subsidies to farmers and a fisherman. that pits them against the nations in southern and eastern europe who are the main beneficiaries. here's the latest from brussels. >> there are winners and losers when you look at the kind of heading of the expenditure that's being agreed. , so for example, many of the newer countries in eastern europe wants funds to help improve infrastructure, their transport, their broad wand band. that's going take quite a big hit if what was discussed overnight is finally signed off

and some of them are uncomfortable with it. david cameron, british prime minister, along with others, have called for big cuts to the brussels bureaucracy, but he's getting less there than he wished, so there's some debate there. there's also likely to be a snide over what happens if there's an underspend in the e.u. budget. does the money come back to the nation state as some would like, or does it stay away? the deal isn't yet done. >> let's go from the macro right down to the micro. do you know what your child is doing online? children as young as 11 are writing malicious computer codes with the intention of stealing information, according to the anti-virus company a.v.g.n. one instance, they discovered an 11-year-old canadian boy who had written the code to steal log-in information to a popular online children's game. as younger and younger children learn how to write computer codes, parents and teachers should be ready to teach the right and wrong ethics of computer programming. >> no one person is responsible

for teaching the child the right thing. you know, when we teach them coding, we should teach them the right ethics of coding and the way to construct code. then it's reinforced with parents with the right moral values and the rights and wrongs of life. we wouldn't go to the shop and just pick something up and walk out. we'd tell the child it's wrong. >> more news, back to you. >> jamie, thank you very much indeed. now, police in nigeria say nine polio vaccination workers have been shot dead by unknown gunmen. all are said to be women. some were killed in the northern city of cano. others at a health center on the outskirts of the town. china has rejected charges from japan that its warships locked on to a japanese ship and helicopter last month. the alleged incident happened in the east china sea where both countries lay claim to a group of small islands. japan has summoned the chinese ambassador to tokyo to explain himself. people living in the northeastern state of america are bracing themselves for a

powerful winter storm which could bring near hurricane-force winds and two feet of snow. schools in new england are being closed and more than 1,700 flights have been cancelled. it's feared there could be widespread power outages and flooding in coastal areas. and there's been an arson attack on the offices of the israeli team. the attack comes a day after four of the club's fans were charged with racial insightful -- inciteful following chanting at a recent game. tensions have been high. no one was hurt in the fire which damaged some team memorabilia inside an office. a massive police manhunt is underway in california. they're searching for a former police officer who's suspected of killing three people. officers in los angeles have found christopher dorner's burned-out truck and they fear he's targeting serving officers apple being tacked from the

force four years ago. >> california police are on high alert and are nervous. a military-trained former cop is on the rampage, and police and their families are on his hit list. this is christopher dorner, 33 years old, a navy reservist and an l.a. police department cop until he was sacked off disciplinary action. after posting a long, rambling manifesto online, it appears he's now targeting former colleagues. this is where he ambushed a police patrol car overnight, opening fire. one officer was killed, another seriously injured. earlier he'd been spotted, but after trading gunfire, escaped. 40 people and their families could be at risk and are now being protected by armed police. >> good morning. everybody ready? >> the l.a. police department say it's one of the biggest manhunts they've ever launch and had that dorner is armed

and extremely dangerous. >> of course he knows what he's doing. we trained him. he was also a member of the armed forces. it is extremely worrisome and scary, especially to the police officers involved. you know, the river side officers were cowardly ambushed. they had no opportunity to fight back, no prewarning. you know, imagine, imagine going about your workday having to worry about that threat. >> the killing began here on sunday. a couple murdered in their car. it turns out the woman was monica, the daughter of a police captain who represented corner in his disciplinary hearing. police linked the killings to corner and lanched a massive manhunt. a man matching his description tried to steal a boat in san diego. cops have been taken off the road as they're considered an easy target. and early this morning, police

on protection duty and high alert opened fire on a vehicle similar to dorner's. two women inside were injured. the police called it a tragic case of mistaken identity. the search has now switched to the big bay area, in the mountains east of los angeles, where his burning truck was discovered on a mountain road. a popular ski resort has been closed, and the command center set up, while police continue to track the fugitive ex-policeman who's thought to be heavily armed. >> and stay with us on "bbc world news." still to come -- we will be live outside the bolshoi ballet in moscow for the latest twist in an increasingly bitter backstage drama. a leading brand of ready-made l.a. sag in a advertised as beef here in the you u.k. has

been found to contain almost 100% horse meat. the food industry has been told to carry out urgent tests on all processed beef products. the company at the center of this storm withdrew the lasagna but didn't believe there was a food safety issue. it's the latest in a series of incidents in which processed foods in the u.k. and ireland have been found to contain horse meat. >> this is the meal at from the of a new food scandal after tests showed some contained between 60% and 100% horse meat. they were made for findas by a french food supplier. the wider food contamination controversy began last month when beef burgers containing horse d.n.a. were found by irish food inspectors. here at the food standard agency, they're trying to find out what's happening and put a stop it it. the chief executive said it's highly like that will criminal

activity is to blame, and businesses are being told to test their beef products. they say they want to see the police being called in to investigate. >> this is looking much more widespread than just a couple of rogue traders, which is what we thought at the beginning t. looks like systematic, potentially criminal involvement in this aadult police being brought in. ration, so we need to see the >> findus has withdrawn its meals from shops and apologized. the company said it wanted to reassure consumers that it reacted immediately. it said we do not believe this is a food safety issue. but the f.s.a. has ordered findus for investigate for a veterinary drug which may pose a risk to human health if it enters the food chain. the government said it was completely unacceptable that a product which is labeled as beef lasagna turns out to be mainly horse meat. >> you're watching "g.m.t.." the top stories this hour --

thousands gather for the funeral of tunisia's murdered opposition leader. a general strike has been called, and more unrest is feared. a huge manhunt is underway in california, where a former police officer is thought to have killed three people. now, to moscow, where the bolshoi ballet is causing a sensation, not for the beauty of the on-stage performances, but for the ugliness of the backstage infighting. three weeks ago, the bolshoi's artistic director was injured in an acid attack on the street. one of the company's biggest stars has accused the management of trying to discredit him. he's called on the russian government to sack the theater's entire management, and he said he would be willing to take the charge. we can go live to moscow for the latest on this. the bbc's steve rosenberg, a very well insulated steve rosenberg, is outside the

bolshoi. and steve, this plot just thickens and thickens, doesn't it? >> yes, absolutely. in its 230-year history, the bolshoi has produced plenty of drama on the stage and off it. but the scandals swirling around this building in recent weeks really have shocked russians. first the acid attack on sergei, and today the claims by one of the top dancers of a witchhunt inside the bolshoi. the bolshoi this week, they put on "gisele." it's a story of gemousy, tretchery, revenge. but that's not nothing compared to the dramas backstage. nikolai is a principal dancer and currently one of the bolshoi's biggest stars. he's clashed before with his bosses.

now he says the bolshoi's management wants him out. >> it's like being back in the days of josef stalin. they organize meetings against me. they trying to force staff to sign letters condemning me. they tried that last week, but all the ballet teachers refused to sign it. >> three weeks ago, the troupe's artistic director was attacked with sulfuric acid. the head of the bolshoi has accused nikolai of creating an atmosphere of mudslinging and mayhem, which he believes led to the incident. he denies it and even questions what happened. ca >> i don't know what the substance was, but it's clear it wasn't what they claim. if you look at all the special tv shows that have been hinting at my involvement, it looks like a campaign against me.

this isn't against sergei. it's against me. but they won't get away with it. >> i am speechless. what can i snell and i really don't care what he thinks about it. i just hope that sergei would be healed as quick as possible and his eyesight and he will join us and the bolshoi will continue to work. >> nikolai not only dances at the bolshoi, he teaches there, too. but he claims that sergei had tried to take away his students. >> in december, sergei asked to see my pupils. he told her, if you leave him, i'll give you the part in "swan lake." all the balance rain as dream of dancing "swan lake," but she refused, and i'm grateful for her loyalty. >> and did you talk to sergei about this? did you try to convince him?

>> yes, we met in the lift. i told him i know what you did, and he replied i didn't do anything of the kind. come on, i said. in the bolshoi, walls have ears. everybody knows everything. >> rumor is saying this girl came to sergei asking for the big part, and sergei said he does not think she's ready yet for this part, and he thinks if she wants to have this part, it will be very wise for her to work with some female professors. so i don't think it's the offending person. >> the bolshoi would clearly love the focus now to switch back to ballet, but the very public row which has broken out between one of its biggest stars and the management suggests that, for now, dramas off stage will stay in the spotlight. >> steve, a fascinating report, and frankly, you've made the bolshoi look like a nest of vipers. i just wonder how much damage you believe it is doing to the

bolshoi. >> well, i think people here would admit that it is doing damage to the reputation of the world's most famous ballet company. i mean, on the one hand, you have the big star here, the principal dancer, pointing the finger of blame at his bosses, at the management, calling on the russian government to sack the entire management of the bolshoi, accusing his bosses of exploiting the acid attack to try to get rid of him. on the other hand, you have the management pointing the finger of blame at the other, accusing him of mud slinging and fanning intrigue. there's no doubt it is affecting the reputation of the bolshoi, and people here would just like to shift the focus, as i say, from scandal back to what they do best, putting on wonderful ballets. >> indeed. a quick final thought, steve. we can see a few people behind you. are people taking sides now?

is this sort of internal battle playing out, and are muscovites taking sides? >> i get the feeling that a lot of people are just standing at the side and watching what is happening. and they're listening to both sides here, slogging it out, in what is a very public battle between different sides in the bolshoi. >> steve rosenberg in moscow, thank you very much for joining us, live from outside the bolshoi. now, just when you thought it maybe was safe to go into the water, a brazilian coastal resort which has suffered a series of deadly shark attacks has resorted to paying fishermen to keep swimmers and surfers safe. 20 feet have been killed in the past two decades in shark attacks off the coast, and now they're paying fishermen a fee for each shark they catch. >> these waters might look inviting , but only the brave

dare take a dip. this has become one of the most dangerous places in the world to swim. there have been 56 shark attacks in the last 20 years. of those, 21 have been fatal. the victims have been more are not, but suffered serious injuries. local scientists believe environmental disturbances, like the building of a large port near the city, have disrupted the hunting habits of the sharks. a group of concerned residents have come up with a controversial scheme. >> we talked to the fisherman about what they can do to help save human lives, using humane techniques to kill the sharks. we give them the hooks and we collect the net. >> the group gives the fishermen $130 and a food basket for each shark they catch. and as these news reports show, local fishermen have responded enthusiastically to the scheme. but environmentalists have criticized it, and it's divided opinion among the locals.

i am totally in favor of it, because when we come here, we're afraid of going in the water, and i think this will help us be a little bit more at ease and enjoy the beach. >> i'm against it, because we are the ones invading their space and not the other way around. the local government has announced plans to install shark nets in october, but so many residents who feel the lure of the water, but worry about the dangers lurking, that's too long to wait. beth mcloud, bbc news. >> just a quick glimpse of what's coming up in the next half-hour, we're going to find out what it takes to be a cosmonaut. russia has opened their space program to a competition. now the winners are going through a grueling training program for space. do you have what it takes? well, here on "g.m.t.," we're going to find out just how far we might be able to push human endurance, in space and in the snow. thanks for watching "g.m.t."

stay with us here on "bbc world news." >> make sense of international news at bbc.com/news. >> funding for this presentation is made possible by the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu. newmans own foundation. and union bank. >> at union bank, our relationship managers work hard to understand the industry you

operate in, working to nurture operate in, working to nurture new ventures and help provide